I'm a writer. You just never know what might come to mind for me to blog about.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

A Strange Wrinkle

I watch the Dr. Oz show most mornings. I've learned some things that I can use to help me be healthy. Last week, he talked about a wrinkle on the ear lobe which can be a signal of heart disease. According to Dr. Oz, and other articles I've read, a vertical crease, which extends from where the earlobe attaches to the head and extends down at an angle to the lower part of the lobe, indicates the ear is not receiving an adequate amount of blood supply. This indicates a potential arterial problem. After reading up on this, I became very worried, because I have that vertical crease on both ears.

I visited my doctor on Tuesday for my six-month check-up and decided to ask him about it. I figured he would just pooh-pooh it away. Imagine my surprise when he said it was a sign that I had the potential for heart disease. He said that with exercise, watching my diet, keeping my blood pressure and cholesterol in check, that it would go a long way toward preventing a heart attack.

My mother had heart disease and high cholesterol. She had a six-way by-pass when she was close to my age, and she died last year of a heart attack. My brother also has heart disease. He has stints to keep his arteries opened.

So, no way around it. I'm one of those at risk as well.

I'm glad I watched Dr. Oz, and also that my doctor listened to me. This has been a wake-up call and I intend to focus more on diet and exercise than I have in the past.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to chat with your doctor if you have any health concerns!